Worldwide Northern Hemisphere prosperity was so high for so long that many of us forgot just what’s essential and what’s not. Now with the economic downturn and disappearance of jobs, people are becoming more independent and resilient.

What is Simple Living?

Simple living advocates are voluntarily adopting a simpler, and less expensive, lifestyle which focuses on these essentials.
1. Food
2. Shelter including clothing
3. Transportation
4. Health care
 

How to Change to Simpler Living

The closer we associate our jobs and life goals with these essentials the more secure our future will be. More of us may have to grow our own food and provide our own health care.  Shelter may eventually become more precious: our current 600 square feet of floor space per occupant may need to change.  Where you live determines the amount and type of transportation you need, so we’ve already seen migration into vacant areas of cities and towns. Over time we may need to reduce our travel miles significantly.
 

What is in the Future?

A whole movement toward simple living, promoted by Gandhi, Thoreau, and others has revived in the last decade, represented by a growing number of writers, activists, and followers. These simplicity advocates believe that economic growth is unsustainable and ultimately undesirable. They believe that, with or without government planning or public support, modern life will gradually revert to the essential priorities of earlier times.  If they are right, we are heading toward some major social simplification. This likely possibility should guide our long term planning as people and communities.
For more information, visit these websites:
Wikipedia
Simplicity Collective
Changing Course